Understanding Heart Failure - Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms?

The symptoms of heart failure are related to the pooling of fluid in the body or can be secondary to the decreased blood flow to the body.
Sometimes, people with heart failure do not have any symptoms. The most common symptoms of heart failure are:

• Shortness of breath with exercise or difficulty breathing at rest or when lying flat.
• Swollen legs, ankles, or abdomen.
• Dry, hacking cough, or wheezing.

Other symptoms include:

• Fatigue, palpitations, or pain during normal activities.
• Weight gain from fluid retention.
• Increased need to urinate during the night.
• Dizziness or confusion.
• Rapid or irregular heartbeats.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Your legs, ankles, or abdomen are swollen.
• You have difficulty breathing, especially if you wake up short of breath, or you cannot lie down flat without getting short of breath.
• You gain 2 pounds in one day or 5 pounds in one week.
• You have a feeling of fullness (bloating) in your stomach with a loss of appetite or nausea.
• You feel extreme fatigue or decreased ability to complete daily activities.
• You have a respiratory infection or a cough that has become worse.
• Your heart rate is fast, about 120 beats per minute.
• You experience a new irregular heart beat.
• You feel chest pain or discomfort during activity that is relieved with rest.
• You notice changes in sleep patterns, including difficulty sleeping or needing to sleep a lot more than usual.
• You urinate less.
• You feel restless or confused.
• You suffer constant dizziness or lightheadedness.
• You have nausea or poor appetite.